BEN Hogg and sidekick Vernon Osborne would have been happy to find their Holt side back on top of Division Three going into their weekend clash with Marshfield.
Holt, who had slipped from the number one spot following their defeat to White Horse, were awarded the tree points from a recent postponed game with Lamb Reserves which moved them back above United FC.
Holt, however, had to perform on the pitch as they faced a potential banana-skin in Marshfield, but Hogg’s side enhanced their promotition credentials as they came from 2-0 to claim a 4-2 win that kept them 2 points clear of the chasing pack.
Tom Brown’s 10th-minute effort and an own goal from Owen Reece put Marshfield two-up.
Jamie Parlour started the Holt revival and a second from Parlour got the villagers back on level terms. Matthew Woodland put them 3-2 up before Lance Davis bagged a crucial fourth for the hosts that seemed to knock the wind out of the visitors to let the hosts take their ninth win of the season.
The Lamb Reserves 3 Polenez Westbury 1
ADAM Stevens' Lamb Reserves side, who had won two out of their previous four games, would have been up for their clash at Whaddon Lane with a Polenez Westbury side who, after starting the season in promising fashion, have fallen away of late after suffering three straight defeats.
That became four as Lamb’s 3-1 win added to Polenez problems.
First-half goals for Ryan Bodman, Kieran Palmer and Dean Gumm had the points wrapped up for the Lamb Reserves at half time.
Sebastian Uszpelkat scored a second-half consolation for Polenez.
Trowbridge Rangers 3 United FC 5
LOCAL rivals Trowbridge Rangers and United FC squared up against each other at The Stallards where the latter managed to come away with a nervy 5-3 win to maintain their challenge for a top two placing.
Top scorer Shavon Allen gave United the lead and Bartlomie Okonski made it 2-0 with a sublime strike from outside of the area. A penalty for Rafal Gasiorek put United 3-0 up and what appeared to be in total control of things at the break.
The second half was a different affair as Trowbridge Rangers reduced the arrears through Dan Moore.
United’s super sub Jozef Zapotolzny restored his team's three-goal cushion. Rangers kept themselves in the contest thanks to a second of the afternoon from Dan Moore.
A second from Jozef Zapotolzny put United 5-2 ahead, but back came Rangers with Dan Moore completing his hat-trick to keep the game alive but that was as close as the hosts got as United were able to tighten things up defensively as they held out to claim their eighth win of the campaign.
White Horse FC 10 Zeals FC 0
PETE Ayton and Sam Gooding’s White Horse FC side extended their winning sequence in all competitions to 12 matches following their 10-0 demolition of a Zeals FC side they had beaten 4-0 on the opening day of the season to kick off their impressive record to date.
White Horse, who had threatened to hit the goal trail in previous games this season were just too good for a Zeals side who found themselves 6-0 down at the break.
Marek Miszta was first on the score sheet followed by Dan Cox and then Dave Appleyard. Dan Cox made it 4-0 when he grabbed a second which came from the penalty spot. Stuart Barber added number five and Paul Beavers completed the first-half scoring.
Dan Cox made it 7-0 as he chalked up the first of the game's hat-tricks.
Barber was on target for a second time before Cox took his personal tally for the game to four and for the season to 15 in all competitions.
A third from Barber saw him claim the second treble of the afternoon that sealed a resounding victory for the home side.
MATCH OFF: The Lamb Reserves v Drummer Boy
TROWBRIDGE & DISTRICT LEAGUE ROUNDUP, STATS AND PICTURES IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD AND FRIDAY'S WILTSHIRE TIMES AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @gazsport and @WTSport
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